Holding You Tight
by Aerysa
Summary: -Song-spired Series- Song #9: Kohaku by D'espairsRay. Hei has to deal with the consequences when Misaki unexpectedly interrupts during his mission.


Super wow... haha, it has been forever since I posted anything. Written anything at that. Anyways, this is one of my song inspired stories. The song I used is _Kohaku_ by D'espairsRay. Took me forever to write.

The link to the translation of the song can be found in my profile.

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><p><strong>Holding You Tight<strong>

"Stop right there! You're under arrest!"

Hei stopped suddenly as the familiar voice sliced through his tunnel-vision focus. He had been completely wrapped up in hunting and chasing ZT-111; he had actually forgotten about Kirihara's tendency to show up everywhere he used his power. How she had caught up to them so quickly, he didn't know; he did know that this put him in a difficult situation. She always did have a knack for finding him.

ZT-111 turned at the sound of her voice as well. He burst out into laughter, an emotionless sound that was more like a donkey braying. The second unexpected sound had Hei's attention back on his original target. At a time like this, against a contractor like that, he didn't have time to lose focus. One false move and he could be in trouble.

As he had expected, the other man was already highlighted in blue, his eyes glowing an eerie crimson red. Instinctively, he dodged out of the way when ZT-111 forced his hand out towards him. A second passed and then another, but he didn't feel any different. Realizing that nothing happened, he prepared to attack his target when once more, he laughed; if it could even be called that.

A flicker of his eyes glanced in Kirihara's direction, causing Hei to turn and look at her. She stood at the ready, yet motionless. Hei cursed under his breath. He was ready to launch himself at ZT-111 when he heard Kirihara's gun clatter to the ground. When he turned back to her a second time, he felt his target take this opportunity for escape.

His body flinched to take flight after him, but instead, he found himself rushing in the other direction towards the lady officer. He caught her just in time as she collapsed towards the ground. When he held her securely in his arms, he turned to scan the premise, but he knew ZT-111 would be long gone. Despite his burly appearance, he was surprisingly light on his feet. If only she hadn't gotten in his way… It would only have been a matter of time before he completed his mission.

He didn't know how long it would take before he had another chance. Huang was not going to be pleased; not that the man ever was. Not to mention, the other contractor's annoying power of mind manipulation… Even now, he had no idea how it would affect Kirihara or how long its effect lasted.

"Are y-…?"

He didn't even manage to finish his question when she started laughing. Slowly at first, a soft giggle. She pushed against his chest and he loosened his hold slightly. She gazed up at him, but he wasn't sure she actually saw anything. Surprisingly, she started laughing harder, louder, almost hysterically, despite the way her face began to contort with hints of pain.

"AHH!"

Screaming at the top of her lungs, she clutched at her head with both hands. Her movements became violent as she struggled against him. In response, he re-tightened his hold on her. Whatever she was experiencing, it couldn't be anything good – not if she was screaming as if suffering from excruciating pain.

Her ear piercing cries eventually died out. He took that moment of peace to glance around. The last thing he needed at this point was to be caught, embracing the Chief of Section 4, Foreign Affairs. His distractedness had already cost him twice this evening. Thankfully, no one was in sight. No blaring sirens, flashing lights or loaded guns levelled his way.

"No… No one's here…" she suddenly murmured, so softly he almost didn't hear her speak.

She stirred slightly within his arms, her eyes gazing ahead without any recognition for her current situation. Her hands rested lightly against his chest, but she didn't realize his presence. Instead, because of ZT-111's power, her thoughts were completely internalized, focused on whatever vision it was that had been thrown at her…

Hei carefully reached up to free his mask, cautiously removing it in case she regained her full consciousness at any moment. Despite removing it and putting it away, there were no signs of change to her situation. If anything, it seemed to worsen as tears began to pool in her eyes. Worried by the deteriorating state of her mind, Hei pulled her tightly to him, wrapping both arms protectively around her.

"Shh…" he murmured nonsensically. "Everything's going to be alright."

Silence enveloped them as they stood together. She still didn't respond; no words or actions to indicate any difference. He pulled away slightly, gently tilting her chin upwards with his knuckle. The only change was the tears silently slipping a trail down her cheeks. Lightly, he used his thumb to wipe them away.

They continued to roll down her cheeks, despite his attempts to stop her overflow of tears. Cursing under his breath, he could not believe this was happening. The next time he caught up to ZT-111, he would make him pay for this; all the misery and sorrow seeping from every pore of her being because of his power and whatever control he had over her at this moment.

He had no idea if it would work, but he supposed it was worth a try. Maybe it would be possible to overcome ZT-111's mind control with stimulation more powerful. Anything was better than watching her stare soullessly with those haunted eyes.

Wiping away another stray tear, Hei slid his fingers around the back of her head and drew her face closer. Pressing his lips to hers, he kissed her, hoping it would startle her back to reality. Yet nothing. She didn't even twitch a muscle, only blinking a couple times before continuing to stare. Maybe the extra blinks had meant something?

Trying once more, this time he pressed her more fully against him with his hand at her hip. Lip locked again, he pressed firmly, hoping to elicit some response. Eventually, she blinked and even closed her eyes, giving him hope that it was working. That wasn't the only thing she was giving him though, with the softness of her breasts pressing against his chest.

Closing his eyes, he let himself get lost in the moment. There had been more than one occasion he had wished the world to vanish; to allow him to play a different, dangerous sort of cops and robbers with the beautiful officer. Yet he had exercised tight self-control to guard his actions. The world would never vanish and he didn't have the luxury of exploring the fanciful thoughts that snuck its way into his mind – not until now.

Tilting her head slightly, it gave him better access to deepen the kiss. Using his tongue, he traced a lazy outline across her lips. They were already partially open from his kiss and he slipped his tongue inside. He touched and tasted every recess of her mouth when he felt a slight response of her tongue returning pressure; at least it seemed like it when a pulse of energy lit a fire straight to his groin.

He shifted his arm across her back, pressing her more fully against him. The other hand slipped lower to stroke her bottom, before he cupped it. He thrust his hips against hers, shifting to find the best fit. He wished there was something for him to push her up against, but this was all he could do to feel the length of her body trapped within his embrace. With only such a minimal response from her and he was already burning with the tremendous urge to bury himself deep within her. If only things were more conducive and under differing circumstances…

"Misaki," he groaned.

Her fingers slowly stroked down his chest, closing into light fists. Hei's manhood shifted between them and he began to kiss her again. How he wished this passion was burning in both of them. He could already envision the feel of her silken skin, the softness of her naked body pinned beneath his weight; the rough and tumble love-making as she hid her passionate wild side beneath that serious demeanor.

Unexpectedly, all visions of his rampant lust evaporated as her body tensed without warning. A silent scream snapped him back to reality, a sound he sensed rather than actually heard. The visions in her head must be returning in full force. Here she was fighting inner demons, more accurately ZT-111, and he couldn't even contain his lustful desires. This was the time she needed him most. It took all his strength to hold her when she started pushing against him, arching away from him with strength that was beyond her normal capabilities.

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><p>"<em>Stop! You know he's no good for you," Misaki argued. "He's only going to hurt you."<em>

"_You stop!" retorted Kanami. "I love him. He already asked me to marry him and I said yes. You're supposed to be happy for me."_

"_But why him?"_

"_Because I love him," Kanami stated, the expression on her face beginning to darken. "If you keep this up, I won't let you be my maid of honour. I won't even let you be my friend."_

"_But…"_

_Kanami threw her a dirty glare before she stormed off. Misaki tried to follow her, to explain herself, but she couldn't seem to move. She watched helplessly as her best friend walked towards a man silhouetted in the distance, the sound of his triumphant laughter echoing like a death toll for her friend. Misaki couldn't understand why Kanami would adamantly choose to stay with a man who abused her._

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><p>"<em>What have you done?" Misaki screamed.<em>

_What I should have done years ago," Naoyasu replied calmly._

_A look of stricken horror froze on her face as her father stood towering over a crumpled female body lying at his feet, smoking gun still in his hand. Instead of being remorseful, he looked smug and proud; to have emptied the chamber of his gun into a defenceless woman._

_Shaking off the shock, Misaki rushed forward to the body. She didn't know what to think of her father's insanity, but it was the only way to explain why he would so joyously kill another person. Something about the scene set off alarm bells, but she still had to see who this woman was. Slowly, she rolled the body over, gasping in surprise when she recognized who it was; a face so similar to her own – her mother._

"_She was only a nuisance, interfering with your upbringing," Naoyasu commented. "I won't allow my daughter to be weak and pathetic."_

"_How could you say that? Mother loved us!"_

"_Love?" he scoffed. "Is _that_ what you call all that useless coddling? I don't need it and neither do you."_

"_But…"_

"_Don't tell me I'm already too late."_

_Shrinking back in fear, a dangerous glint had entered her father's eyes as he calmly reloaded his gun. Not sure what to expect, Misaki didn't want to believe that her father could be this ruthless, as to cold-bloodedly murder the woman who loved him. _

"_Now, step away from her body," instructed her father. "I won't have you get in my way of disposing her."_

"_No! Father, what are you doing?"_

"_Now!" he shouted, pulling the gun off of safety._

_Staring down the barrel end of a gun held by her own father, Misaki couldn't move as all energy was drained from her body. He had already disposed of her mother, for reasons she still didn't understand, but at this rate, she would be next. Despite all her attempts to do as he demanded, her body wasn't listening to her._

"_I'll give you to the count of three," he stated calmly. "One… Two…"_

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><p>"<em>What are you doing here?" Misaki asked, her eyes lighting up with pleasure.<em>

"_I came to tell you that I no longer want to see you anymore."_

"_Eh?"_

_She stared in disbelief at the young Chinese man she had come to know and love. Things had always been great between them. They called each other regularly and talked about everything. They made plans for dates when both of them had time, working diligently around her work schedule and his school schedule. She didn't even stay late at work, unless absolutely necessary, because of him._

"_I'm breaking off our relationship," Li stated._

"_Why?"_

"_I've found someone better."_

"_What?" Misaki screeched, not sure she was hearing properly. "We were exclusive. You even said you love me!"_

"_I've found someone better," he repeated._

_Upset that he would do this to her, she wished with all her heart that he was lying. Just last evening, they had shared a romantic candlelit dinner that had ended with soul-shaking love-making and her lying within his protective embrace; the feel of his naked body still fresh in her mind; the passion she had for him, reciprocated in his actions._

"_Liar!" she cried. "You were with me, even last night."_

"_I've found someone better."_

_As if conjured from his words, a tall willowy blonde appeared next to him, draping herself all over him. She was scantily clad in a bikini that barely covered her breasts, the size of melons. The bottom would have fallen off at the slightest breeze, held together by thin string loosely tied in a bow. Her clear green eyes gazed vacuously at her; most likely a testament to her empty head._

_She pouted her full lips, full by methods other than as nature intended. She was clearly displeased by Misaki's presence. Thinking he had gone mad, Li only smiled as he glanced at the blonde. He pressed his lips to hers, all the while cupping his hand around her generous breast, teasing as he stroked and squeezed. The two continued to make out as if she wasn't there to witness every second of it and hear their lucid grunts and moans._

"_I told you. I've found someone better," Li finally stated, speaking only after the blonde had completely abandoned everything but her passion to kneel at his feet, nuzzling her face and pressing lingering kisses against his bulging erection._

_Misaki turned away in pain and disgust, unable to watch as the other woman cupped his butt with both hands and made exaggerate stroking motions with her tongue. His desire for her had already been visible, straining against the constraints of his jeans. She had thought that what they shared was special, but obviously not if he preferred that one over her; clearly as fake all over as a designer handbag from China. _

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><p>"Misaki! Misaki!"<p>

Hei started to shake her gently when she suddenly stopped moving. One minute she was fighting him with strength beyond her capabilities. Then she just stopped. That overwhelming sense of sorrow began to return and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. His voice did nothing as she didn't hear him. His kisses made it worse, for both of them. He could only blame the fervent return of ZT-111's power on himself with his failed attempt at breaking his control.

"Misaki," he murmured helplessly.

Her body began to tremble like she was going into hypothermal shock. It was a sign that they needed to get out of here. The night was cool, not to mention that their location was easily pinpointed with ZT-111's use of power. Hugging her tightly, he tried to transfer warmth as he vigorously rubbed her back. It seemed to help as the tremors slowed. He pulled away for long enough to take off his jacket and wrap it around her.

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><p>Sitting on the floor of his apartment, Hei had his back against the wall. He held Misaki securely against him with his arms around her waist. To keep her warm, he covered them with the thickest blanket he could find. It helped as the trembling had mostly subsided. There were moments where it returned, but eventually stopped on its own.<p>

At first, he continued to talk to her, if only to ease his own frustrations at being unable to help her. If he had known what would have happened, he would have done a better job of protecting her. He was the one who was supposed to be suffering like this, not her. She was like this because of his carelessness and nothing else.

He wasn't sure what she was going through, but he hoped that it had no lasting effects. Whatever it was that she was seeing in her mind's eye, it wasn't good. On top of that, it wasn't real. The last thing she needed to remember would be a false reality.

"Misaki," he murmured, resting his cheek against her head.

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><p><em>Turning around, Misaki thought she heard someone calling her, yet she saw nothing. She had no idea where she was. All she knew was that she wandered aimlessly in this labyrinth of darkness. It was so dark that she couldn't even see her own hands when she held them in front of her face. With nothing visible, she randomly found herself walking into a wall. She would have to feel her way passed it before coming to a new opening.<em>

_Furthermore, it was so silent that she could hear the sound of her own heartbeat pulsing in her ears. With every moment that passed, lost and alone, the throbbing began to grow louder and stronger. She wanted out of here! But she had no idea how to accomplish that and obviously no one to ask for help._

"_Misaki."_

_A sudden shiver danced down her spine. This time, she heard the voice with clarity, but she didn't recognize who it was. She glanced upwards as it seemed to come from above. Even so, she still didn't see anything. Pitch black surrounded her so completely that she wasn't even certain if her eyes were actually opened or closed. Straining her ears, she wished the voice would come again as it gave her a slight sense of comfort._

_Out of the blue, she felt pain in her chest; a sharp stabbing sting in her heart. Wincing, it became so unbearable that her entire body shook. She fell to her knees, bracing herself with one hand against the ground. The other was clenched tightly into a fist as she tried to ignore the disturbing sensations within her body._

"_Ahh!" she screamed, unable to bear it any longer._

_She thought she would die, so painfully and utterly alone. Surprisingly, she felt a ribbon of warmth against her arm. It slid across her skin, winding around and around her body until it felt like an entire jacket of heat enveloped her. It tightened, but rather than hurting her more, it dispelled the original mind-numbing pain she felt. _

_Slowly, she felt her body begin to relax. Her breathing gradually calmed, returning to a normal pace. In no time, she was able to sit up as she had previously been curled up like a ball, unable to cope with such pain. The blood returned to her fingers as she relaxed them, the impressions of nail marks burning on her palm. Though she was starting to feel better after that sudden attack, the darkness of her surroundings did not change._

_Her thoughts turned to someone, but she didn't know who. They twisted and twirled within her mind, intertwining like threads coiled into rope. Hazy moments flashed briefly before her, to be replaced by the darkness. For the life of her, she couldn't identify the person who kept stealing into her mind; but one thing that seemed certain was that this person was someone important._

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><p>With time, Misaki began to regain control over her consciousness, awakening from her induced dream-like state. She tried to open her eyes, but it felt as if they had been glued shut. They just wouldn't open. In addition to that, her mind was decidedly blank. She didn't remember anything; the last memory was being called by Kanami regarding Contractor activity.<p>

After struggling immensely to open her eyes, she found herself awake during early morning hours, sitting on the ground at a park. The grass beneath her feet lush green. The area she was in was secluded, with trees surrounding her like a shield against prying and inquisitive eyes. All in all, she had no clue where she was.

Her brain was operating in slow motion as it took some time for her to realize that she wasn't alone. Her legs weren't the only ones stretched out in front of her; a pair of arms was wrapped tightly around her waist; her back pressed against a solid male chest.

She should have panicked and she tried for a second, but it was beyond her capabilities. For reasons unknown to her, she did not have complete control over her body. Yet as she was trapped within this man's embrace, she felt herself begin to relax. Whoever he was, he clearly wasn't going to hurt her because he could have done so at any time prior.

Even so, she was anxious to figure out what happened and he was sure to have answers. Focusing her thoughts, she tried to force movement into her arms, her legs – just anywhere. Speaking should have been the easiest, but no sounds were voiced when she attempted it.

As she struggled to free herself from his embrace, he continued to slumber on, oblivious to her dilemma. His head was like a weight resting on top of hers; his breath blowing lightly across her hair. She could make out noises as he murmured in his sleep. What exactly he was talking about or dreaming about, she couldn't make sense of.

"Misaki…"

She heard her name on his lips and released an inner squeal when he suddenly tightened his hold on her; as if they weren't close enough as it was. Flustered by this, she renewed her efforts to wake him, all the while thankful that he had the foresight to station them in an area of secluded peace.

Finally, she succeeded as she tried to wriggle free. His hold was too tight to break free from, but she did manage to wake him slightly. He muttered something incoherently and continued to sleep. Inwardly sighing, Misaki tapped her fingers along the length of his forearm, hoping the consistent annoyance would have better results.

"Mm…" he grumbled groggily.

Tapping faster, she felt him loosen his hold and lean back, giving her more room. Now if he would just let go of her completely… Then she could get up from this uncomfortable situation and demand some answers. Feeling her strength gradually returning, she tried to pry his arms apart, but he refused to let her do so.

"Is it morning already?" he inquired, whispering sleepily in her ear.

"Yes it is," she stated, her voice just above a whisper. "Now let me go."

"Mm…"

He didn't. Instead, he nuzzled his face against her neck, the warmth of his breath causing tingles to dance along her skin. The disconcerting awareness of the moment caused her to squirm again, but he paid no attention to her movements. Rather, she felt his lips curve into a smile before he pressed a lingering kiss below her ear.

"Eek! W – Wh – What was that for?" she shrieked, irritated that her voice sounded breathy.

"Good morning," he murmured, giving her a second kiss, this time on the cheek.

Amazed by his boldness, not only did he call her by her first name, he continued to hold her captive against him and even kissed her twice. She turned her head to gaze at him, awkwardly arching away to catch a glimpse of his face. Her eyes meeting a pair of clear blue ones, she only knew of one person in possession of those.

"L – Li-kun?"

"Hello Misaki," he replied, smiling as he stared at her.

"W – What are you doing here?"

Stunned by the latest revelation, she forcefully pushed away from him, twisting in the process. He sighed, but released her and she found herself in another disturbing situation. She now sat perpendicularly to him with one of his legs under hers, their legs tangled together by her sudden and violent movement. Blushing as her heart pounded in a staccato rhythm, he didn't say anything as he continued to watch her.

"Where are we? What are you doing here?" she asked, glancing away when his piercing gaze became too much to handle.

"I should ask you that," he finally replied. "You don't remember anything?"

"Nothing… I remember Kanami calling me."

Li sighed, but didn't speak, causing her to worry. What exactly happened? How was it possible that they ended up being alone in a place like this? She wished she knew because it was an odd feeling to awaken in his arms – especially when he had never been this forward with his actions in the past. As the moments of silence continued to pass, Misaki felt a shiver go down her spine. What was he holding back from her?

"Here."

Before Misaki could say anything, Li pulled her back into her arms. She thought about fighting him, too aware of his presence, but he seemed to sense her intentions. He wrapped both arms tightly around her before giving her another one of his intense stares. Blush tingeing her cheeks red, she couldn't hold his gaze.

"You're cold," he stated. "It's warmer here."

"Mm…" she replied dumbly.

"Anyways, I actually don't know too much about last night. I was taking a walk to relax… Imagine my surprise at finding you unconscious on the ground. Luckily, I found you before anyone else did."

"Why didn't you just call the police?"

"I… I don't know. I guess I panicked. You seemed to be okay besides that, so…"

"I suppose it wouldn't have been that helpful since they wouldn't know what happened either."

"Mm… I'm just glad that you're alright," Li stated quietly.

Something in his voice made her turn to glance at him. He smiled gently, seemingly shy again, the way she was accustomed to seeing him. It made her more self-aware since being in his arms like this was usually something she only dreamt about… And he didn't show any inclination of letting her go.

"I… Thank you," Misaki said softly. "I don't know what would have happened if it weren't for you."

"No… It's the least I could do. I should have thought to bring you somewhere warmer."

There was so much she could have said in response, but she didn't say anything. The situation was too surreal, but she had no reason to doubt his words. Li was a gentle soul; he had no purpose in lying to her. She just couldn't imagine that being possible.

The two of them sat in silence, consumed by their own thoughts. All the different possible scenarios kept running through her mind and Misaki shuddered when a particularly gruesome thought wouldn't leave her alone. When Li-kun hugged her in response, she was grateful for his presence. Despite the short time period of their acquaintance, something about him had the power to calm her.

"Are you feeling better?" he eventually asked.

"Yes, thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Then let me take you home. I… Promise me that you'll be more careful next time."

"I promise," Misaki said, never wanting to be in a state of unconsciousness ever again.

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><p><strong>AN:** I had a lot of trouble with the ending, so I apologize if you think it sucks... Lol. I couldn't figure out how to end it properly according to the lyrics... But hopefully it's at least satisfactory.


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